australian television information archive

Not Worth A Cent

Episode 1
Premiere: Sat, May 10, 2008
Ratings: 1.071 million viewers (5th on the night)
Written by Jutta Goetze & Elizabeth Coleman
Directed by Paul Moloney

When Louisa Atherton's wealthy husband Jack drops dead in the arms of another woman, she thinks things can't get any worse - until she discovers that he has left her bankrupt and homeless.

Retreating into denial, Louisa is ill-equipped for the emotional fallout. Rainbow's End is the only place left for her to run to, and so she does, she runs home to her mother, Minna.

Coming to recognise her estranged relationship with her mother, Louisa learns that her own daughter Holly needs a strong and supportive mother - the kind Louisa has never been. Jack's death has caused Louisa to look in the mirror, where she sees she has to face some bitter home truths - the failure of her marriage, her unpreparedness for responsibility and the alienation of her daughter.

Her plans for the future and any financial security now rest with the only asset she has left in the world, a tumbledown old shack on the outskirts of Rainbow's End. The shack has acquired a place in local folklore as the one-time home of Mary Kelly, widow of a gold miner, who was murdered in her bed by thieves searching for the legendary gold nugget said to be buried on the property.

Of course the nugget was never found and the ghost of Mary is still said to haunt the place. This is of no concern to Louisa. She will knock down the shack, rebuild, sell, be cashed up and back sipping long macchiatos in the city in no time. But Rainbow's End has other plans for Louisa Atherton...

Cast: Kerry Armstrong as Louise Atherton, Greg Stone as Jack Atherton, Hanna Mangan-Lawrence as Hoyy Atherton, Juanita Davis as Policewoman, Martyn Brown as Policeman, Jacqueline Brennan as Anna, Leverne McDonnell as Robyn, Dave Thornton as Shannon Atherton, Tom Wren as Solicitor, Susan Strafford as Celebrant, Cameron McKenzie as Young Cop, Krysti Floyd as Second Constable, Julia Blake as Minna Franklin, Ronald Boyter as Clem Blackwell, Caroline Gillmer as Marg Braithwaite, Tim Phillipps as Sean Smithwick, Kaarin Fairfax as Deb Mathieson, Susie Dee as Vivien Dixon, HaiHa Le as Rita Lim, Lawrence Mah as Wayne Lim, Andrew S. Gilbert as Gavin Braithwaite, Jay Laga'aia as Nick Pickering, Bill Lee as Chinese Consul, Kallista Kaval as Wendy Watt, Tim Sullivan as Ern Swann

Note: in relation to other recent ABC dramas, the ratings for the debut episode of Bed of Roses rank it behind Rain Shadow (1.111m) but ahead of East of Everything (1.006m)

Reality Check

Episode 2
Premiere: May 17, 2008
Ratings:
Written by
Directed by

Now stuck in Rainbow's End, Louisa is deeply depressed and humiliated as she's forced to sell her clothes at a garage sale and search for unskilled work.

She hides her pain behind jokes for Holly's benefit. But in reality, Holly is falling apart. After inadvertently incurring the wrath of her new school mates, she slips the urn containing her dad's ashes into her backpack for comfort.

The next day the ashes fall out at school, and she's derided and ostracised. Vulnerable and fragile, she finds herself fighting off the amorous advances of local footy star Rooster McIver, until she's rescued by Sean, the sweet undertaker.

Meanwhile Louisa is forced to clean the house of an old school nemesis, local identity Gavin Braithwaite. Her first day ends in her being fired, but new friends Marg and Deb point her towards the Rainbow Echo, where she's employed as a part-time photographer. Louisa is thrilled - at last things are going her way - until Sean tells her about Rooster McIver and confides he saw Holly at the Melbourne bus stop.

The local cop brings Holly back to a hurt and horrified Louisa. How could Holly do this to her? Holly says she didn't think Louisa would even notice she was gone - after all, she's obsessed with herself. Louisa is guilt-stricken. She makes a heartfelt apology, and she and Holly communicate honestly for the first time.

The next day demolition work finally starts on the shack - at least it's about to, until Minna turns up and announces that the Council has listed the shack as a Building of Significance, meaning that it can't be knocked down. Louisa is foiled and furious.

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Things Can Only Get Better

Episode 3
Premiere: May 24, 2008
Ratings:
Written by
Directed by

Shannon Atherton is lost, but a footy legend doesn't admit to feelings of insecurity, nor will he face the fact that he's a has-been at 24. And he's in financial trouble. Shannon's life has run off the rails and so he does what he's always done, he looks to his mother Louisa to help him out.

Builder Marty Mason is renovating Louisa's shack and is chuffed to have an AFL player on his turf. As coach of the Rainbow Roos, known as the 'Road Kill' because they have been wooden spooners since 1992, Marty is hoping Shannon's influence can lift the Roos out of their malaise.

But when Louisa can't pay Marty because she decides to pay Shannon's debt, her builders walk off the job. Louisa finds herself stranded with a half-finished house and the Roos are without a much-needed mentor.

Minna mortgages her own house to bail Louisa out. In doing so she gives Louisa a lesson in mothering. Minna's sacrifice opens Louisa's eyes. For the first time in her life she stands up to her son, telling him the home truths that she herself faced only a few months ago. That he can't expect other people to solve his problems for him. He is spurred on to help the Rainbow Roos in a season-defining game.

Coming home after the footy match, Louisa is pleasantly surprised to find she has a very handsome neighbour on her doorstep who is claiming the little white pony that Louisa had adopted and allowed to graze in her paddock. With a growing sense of self, with the arrival of Tibor, with Shannon's life back on track and the builders back on the job, things are starting to look up for Louisa. Finally.

With: ...

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Episode 4
Premiere: May 31, 2008
Ratings:
Written by
Directed by

Shonky builder Marty Mason is still the bane of Louisa (Kerry Armstrong) and Holly's life. Holly demands that Louisa sack him, but Louisa's too intimidated.

Holly confides to Sean that her mother is much more annoying than her father ever was. She also confesses that she's still carrying Jack's ashes and can't bear to let him go yet.

Meanwhile Louisa discovers old letters that reveal 'Mary Kelly' was actually a Chinese woman called Meilin Chee. Meilin's not the only mystery close to home - Louisa is intrigued by her enigmatic neighbour, Tibor, whose wife died recently. His grief and aloofness are strangely attractive.

Deb brings an orphaned baby wombat into the office. Louisa is humbled by her friend's compassion but Wendy is not and sacks Deb on the spot despite Louisa's protest. Gavin takes out an AVO against Marg after threats of violence. A devastated Marg finally opens up to Louisa about her 14-year-old son Jamie, who died in a drowning accident, a grief at the core of her estrangement from Gavin.

Holly decides that she's ready to let her father go, and together with Louisa, Minna (Julia Blake) and Shannon, they scatter his ashes over the river. It is a rare moment of family harmony.

When a storm blows off their shoddy new roof, Louisa finally finds the nerve to sack Marty and decides to finish the building herself. After all, how hard can it be?

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